Gordon Brown is scooping a £1.7billion windfall from taxes on soaring oil prices and energy bills at a time when families are struggling to pay the bills, research shows

Gordon Brown is scooping a £1.7billion windfall from soaring oil prices and energy bills, research has shown.

The revelation will embarrass the Prime Minister, coming at a time when food and fuel bills are crippling millions of families.

Two reports, from accountants Grant Thornton and from the charity Age Concern, accuse the Government of making a fortune from hard-pressed taxpayers.

The biggest windfall is the extra £1.1billion made on petrol in only 81 days since the Budget on March 12, according to Grant Thornton. It claims the Treasury is benefiting as a result of record oil prices.

Grant Thornton says the average price of oil is around $114 a barrel since March - $30 more than the Government predicted when it drafted the Budget.

Maurice Fitzpatrick, senior manager at the accountants, calculates the higher oil price alone will have earned the Treasury an extra £900million, with another £210million from VAT paid by motorists at the petrol pumps.

Mr Fitzpatrick said: 'The windfall which the Treasury has already received over and above its forecasts in the Budget in March is already more than enough to finance the deferral for six months of the 2p a litre increase due to come into force in October.'

Another money-spinner comes from the extra VAT paid on higher energy bills, according to Age Concern. The charity claims soaring household bills will result in a £600million bonanza this year.

Yesterday the Chancellor Alistair Darling insisted gains from fuel tax would be offset by lost revenue from taxes in sluggish parts of the economy, such as stamp duty on house purchases.

It comes as Scotland's First Minister, Alex Salmond, is demanding a 10 per cent share of booming North Sea oil revenues.

He is writing to the Prime Minister asking for formal talks which could secure Scotland an extra £500million this year.

Mr Salmond said yesterday he wants the creation of a 'Scottish oil fund', and would spend the money on public services.